Conrad describes the rivalry that arises between the anonymous protagonist (a young English captain who waits for the dockers to finish their task) and Falk, the only pilot available in a river port. Falk abuses his position of strength to break the word given to the captain, favoring another ship, the Diana, simply because in the Diana sails the girl he wants to marry. Conrad morosely describes the atmosphere, the psychological situation of all those involved and even allows himself the flourish that the omnipresent lover does not pronounce a single word. It all ends with a gentle blow of humour, about the frequency with which certain events actually happen, on the basis of simple appearances.
Falk's story provides a good moral lesson: the audacity of the English captain to extend a helping hand to his antagonist, thereby reversing the course of action, which will not lead to tragedy. That nascent friendship also favors Falk to be sincere and overcome his remorse about a presumed cannibalism he fears he has influenced.
F.J. (Spain, 2017)